Assessment Results
Sclerophrys togoensis
Togo Toad
Order:
Anura
Family:
Bufonidae
Synonym(s):
Bufo togoensis
Assessed for:
Ghana
on:
24 Sep 2021
by:
AArk/ASG Ghana Assessment Workshop
Authors:
Adum, G., Kouamé, N.G., Ofori-Boateng, C. and Penner, J.
IUCN Global Red List:
Least Concern (LC)
National Red List:
(not assessed)
Distribution:
Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo
Evolutionary Distinctiveness score:
10.7610994
Recommended Conservation Actions:
Additional Comments:
| Question # | Short Name | Question Text | Response | Comments |
| 1 | Extinction risk | Current IUCN Red List category. [Data obtained from the IUCN Red List.] | Least Concern (LC) | Listed as Least Concern due to its wide distribution and presumed large population. However, the population is suspected to be decreasing due to ongoing decline in the quality and extent of the species' habitat and close attention should be paid to this and other forest-dependent species in West Africa. |
| 2 | Possibly extinct | Is there a strong possibility that this species might be extinct in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 3 | Phylogenetic significance | The taxon’s Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED) score, as generated by the ZSL EDGE program. (These data are not editable by Assessors). | ED value < 20 | |
| 4 | Protected habitat | Is a population of at least 50% of the individuals of the taxon included within a well-managed or reliably protected area or areas? | Unknown | In Ghana, it has been recorded in Atewa Forest Reserve and Sui River Forest Reserve. It is also known from Onepone Endangered Species Refuge (C. Ofori-Boateng, pers. comm. September 2021). |
| 5 | Habitat for reintroduction, conservation translocation or supplementation | Does enough well-managed and reliably protected habitat exist, either within or outside of currently protected areas that is suitable for conservation translocation, including population restoration or conservation introduction? | Yes / probably | It occurs in southern Ghana, only in the remaining patches of good forest within the mapped range. Recent records in Ghana include Onepone Endangered Species Refuge in 2020 and Atewa Forest Reserve in 2021 (C. Ofori-Boateng, pers. comm. September 2021). Its elevational range is 100-1,200 m asl (S. Sandberger unpubl. data July 2016). |
| 6 | Previous reintroductions | Have reintroduction or translocation attempts been made in the past for this species? | No | |
| 7 | In situ conservation activities | Are any in situ conservation actions currently in place for this species? (Only required if a Red List Assessment has not been completed, or if new actions have been implemented since the last Red List Assessment. (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.). | Yes / probably | In Ghana, it has been recorded in several protected areas. |
| 8 | In situ conservation activities | Are additional in situ conservation actions required to help conserve this species in the wild (e.g. habitat restoration and/or protection, control of invasive species, national legislation etc.)? | Yes / probably | Ongoing and improved management of protected areas is required including forest restoration, enforcement of protected area boundaries, the provision of livelihood alternatives for locals to reducing mining activities, and additional resource provision for the protection of existing protected areas (e.g. equipment such as cars and fuel provision) (G. Adum and J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). The protection of all remaining forest in the region is also required, as well as the protection of its freshwater habitats (N.G. Kouame, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 9 | In situ research | Is additional in situ research required to better understand the species, e.g. distribution, population trends, natural history etc.? | Yes | Research on the life history, population size and the effects of threats is recommended (N.G. Kouame pers. comm. June 2012). Differences in morphology in the subpopulations in Onepone and Atewa and those in Togo should be genetically investigated to confirm that they are the same species (C. Ofori-Boateng, pers. comm. September 2021). |
| 10 | Threat mitigation | Are the threats facing the taxon, including any new and emerging threats not considered in the IUCN Red List, potentially reversible? | Threats are likely to be reversible in time frame to prevent further decline / extinction | The species lives only in primary forest, usually in close association with the streams in which it breeds. This species is affected by ongoing deforestation throughout its range due to logging, agricultural expansion, and human settlements. It is more threatened in the east of its range, where recent information on its status is very limited. This species tested negative for Bd (Hirschfeld et al. 2016), but the fact that it survives in reasonable numbers in places where other amphibian species have shown severe recent declines because of chytridiomycosis suggests that it is not particularly susceptible. Habitat destruction caused by deforestation for agricultural expansion (including cacao plantations) and logging are the primary threats to this species. These activities include surface water extraction, drainage for agriculture and pollution from agrochemicals (which are utilized by both legal farms within the forest and illegal agriculture - G. Adum pers. comm. September 2021). Artisanal and large-scale gold mining is also a major threat in Ghana, which is causing forest loss and pollution of streams including areas downstream from the mining areas (J. Penner and G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). Furthermore, increasing development for human settlements is another threat throughout Ghana (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). Hill sanctuaries across Ghana were more secure in 2009, but observations since 2016 have confirmed that habitat degradation and loss are now occurring within these areas (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). Multiple threats currently exist in the Sui River Forest Reserve. Large-scale selective logging (both legally and illegally) and deforestation for cacao plantations (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021) - in 2021, the government allowed 15 ha of the 333.9 km² Sui River Forest Reserve to be cleared (G. Adum and J. Penner, pers. comm., September 2021). Other threats include the use of agrochemicals, gold mining, encroachment due to over-population, wildfires as a result of slash and burn activities and the spread of the invasive weed (Chromolaena odorata), (Ghana RLA/CNA assessment workshop, 2021). Large-scale selective logging is occurring throughout the reserve, which has resulted in areas becoming more accessible and led to a recent increase in illegal commercial logging activities (G. Adum, pers. comm., September 2021). This species tested negative for Bd (Hirschfeld et al. 2016), but the fact that it survives in reasonable numbers in places where other amphibian species have shown severe recent declines because of chytridiomycosis suggests that it is not particularly susceptible. |
| 11 | Over-collection from the wild | Is the taxon suffering from collection within its natural range, either for food, for the pet trade or for any other reason, which threatens the species’ continued persistence in the wild? | No / unlikely | |
| 12 | Population recovery | Is the known population of this species in the wild large enough to recover naturally, without ex situ intervention if threats are mitigated? | Yes / probably | It is a rare species, but can be abundant locally and is regularly found during surveys (L. Sandberger pers. comm. July 2016). Due to ongoing decline in the extent and quality of habitat, the population is suspected to be decreasing. In Ghana it is not considered to be abundant, with only one to three individuals found at any one time (C. Ofori-Boateng, pers. comm. September 2021). |
| 13 | Action plans | Does an Action Plan for the species already exist, or is one currently being developed? | No | |
| 14 | Biological distinctiveness | Does the taxon exhibit a distinctive reproductive mode, behaviour, aspect of morphology or physiology, within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.)? | No aspect of biology known to be exceptional | This species breeds in the slow-flowing sections of the streams and the eggs are glued underwater with mud. |
| 15 | Cultural/socio-economic importance | Does the taxon have a special human cultural value (e.g. as a national or regional symbol, in a historic context, featuring in traditional stories) or economic value (e.g. food, traditional medicine, tourism) within its natural range or in a wider global context? | No | It is known to be harvested for medicinal use, but not in large numbers (N.G. Kouamé, pers. comm., September 2021). |
| 16 | Scientific importance | Is the species vital to current or planned research other than species-specific ecology/biology/conservation within the Order to which it belongs (e.g. Anura, Passeriformes etc.) e.g. human medicine, climate change, environmental pollutants and conservation science? | No research dependent on this species | |
| 17 | Ex situ research | Does conserving this species (or closely related species) in situ depend upon research that can be most easily carried out ex situ? | No | |
| 18 | Ex situ conservation activities | Is any ex situ research or other ex situ conservation action currently in place for this species? (Information from the Conservation Actions section of the Red List assessment should be reviewed and considered when answering this question.) | No / unlikely | |
| 19 | Husbandry analog required | If an ex situ rescue program is recommended for this species, would an analog species be required to develop husbandry protocols first? | No / unlikely | |
| 20 | Husbandry analog | Do the biological and ecological attributes of this species make it suitable for developing husbandry regimes for more threatened related species? i.e. could this species be used in captivity to help to develop husbandry and breeding protocols which could be used for a similar, but more endangered species at a later stage? | No | |
| 21 | Captive breeding | Has this species been successfully bred and/or maintained in captivity? | Not held in captivity to date | |
| 22 | Conservation education/ecotourism potential | Is the species especially diurnal, active or colourful, or is there an interesting or unusual aspect of its ecology that make it particularly suitable to be an educational ambassador for conservation of the species in the range country, either in zoos or aquariums or within ecotourism activities? | No | |
| 23 | Mandate | Is there an existing conservation mandate recommending the ex situ conservation of this taxon? | No | |
| 24 | Range State approval | If an ex situ initiative was proposed for this species, would it be supported (and approved) by the range State (either within the range State or out-of-country ex situ)? | Yes / probably | |
| 25 | Founder specimens | Are sufficient animals of the taxon available or potentially available (from wild or captive sources) to initiate an ex situ program, if one was recommended? | Yes / probably | |
| 26 | Taxonomic status | Has a complete taxonomic analysis of the species in the wild been carried out, to fully understand the functional unit you wish to conserve (i.e. have species limits been determined)? | Yes | This species was under the generic name Amietophrynus but is now treated under Sclerophrys (Frost 2016). |
Citation:
Adum, G., Kouamé, N.G., Ofori-Boateng, C. and Penner, J. 2021. Conservation Needs Assessment for Sclerophrys togoensis, Ghana
(AArk/ASG Ghana Assessment Workshop).
https://conservationneeds.org/assessment/6924
Accessed 31 Jan 2025
